It is interesting you discuss that, Amie, as, for some time,now, I’ve been reading a book on Buddhism, simply entitiled “Buddha” by, what I reckon is one of the world’s best authorities on interfaith, Karen Armstrong. For many yesrs, now, I have had a long term goal of reading a bit more interfaith material(not that there’s anything wrong with the Christian material I have read, to the contrary,in fact). Anyway, in one of the earlier chapters, it discusses how Gotama tried to master dwelling in a state known as dhamma, by one of his contempories, Alara Kalama so, in so doing, he could achieve a sense of tranquility and oneness, come to think of it, similar to meditation, which is how I see Christian prayer, by the way.
Good stuff, Amie, and all the best.flipperthedolphin.

Thanks for your comment. That book you hold in your hands, “Buddha” by Karen Armstrong is, perhaps, the best book on the subject you’ll find. It’s certainly my favorite. Armstrong is a strong voice for the value of religion as a source of compassion (see her Charter for Compassion (http://charterforcompassion.org/site/). When the Buddha studied with Alara Kalama he went into and out of profound meditative states. What distinguishes the Buddha’s teachings and later accomplishments is that he found a way to change his perception that was not a “state” change, but an enduring shift in the way reality was experienced. The good news is that this relationship to reality is available to everyone, regardless of religious persuasion, and can be experienced just by being here in the moment. Practicing mindfulness meditation can facilitate that access. With blessings and gratitude, Arnie.

This reminds me of a song my mother used to sing:
No man is an island
No man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend…etc. etc.
We are all interconnected with each other and the earth that sustains us. When we recognize this, we experience more peace, calm, contentment in ourselves:>)Nice to know that the enduring shift in the way reality is experienced is available to all of us:>)

That’s right let’s all get down to the bear necessities! Whoa! Peace n love Rex Mundi III